I know about clones, can talk clones and drop buzzwords like ‘Dijon clones’ etc but I’ve never had the opportunity to compare single clones wines against each other.

At the American Wine Society conference last weekend in Portland, winemaker Don Crank of Willamette Valley Vineyards poured wines from the following Pinot Noir clones

WadenswilPommard667 (Dijon Clone)777 Dijon Clone)Followed by a blend of all four.

All were 2008 vintage and were made in neutral barrels.

1) WadenswilDon said this was a clonal selection made by Muller (of Muller-Thurgau fame) in Switzerland. Don uses it to add complexity to a blend of clones.I found it had a smokiness and it was my second favourite.

2) Pommard Don said that the Pommard clone accounts for two-thirds of all Pinot Noir planted in Oregon and is the one most likely to be found as a stand alone.This was fuller, richer, silkier with rounded tannins. It’s a big, almost chewy, wine and my favourite of the four.

3) Dijon Clone 667Dan said this was an early ripening clone with smaller berries and coarser tannins. I found it lacking flavour, thin and with a sour finish, my least favourite of the four.

4) Dijon Clone 777Don had faint praise for this, saying is was ‘good for blending’.I found it interesting with a sweetness but also sour cherry notes, my third favourite.

5) South BlockThis is a blend of all four of the above clones, which Don called a “commercial blend”.

Didn’t seem to me to be greater than the sum of its parts and not as enjoyable as the 100% Pommard clone.

We then tasted five other Willamette Valley Vineyard Pinot Noirs made from grapes sourced from different vineyards

Thanks, Peter. My friend, Don DeMaison, grows 4 different clones at his vineyard (Long Cliff Winery) in Niagara County, NY. I'm not sure which he has (I will find out), however, I got a mixture for my 35 gallon batch this year. One was distinctive in that the bunches were loose and the berries slightly larger than the others. Because of this, the fruit is less susceptible to botrytis and mildew. I added these to my primary fermentation vessel as whole clusters, as opposed to the others, which I crushed and de-stemmed. The batch will be going into my 2-year old barrel in a few weeks, to age for 2 years.

Interesting Peter. I would like to do a similar type of tasting. I grow two different Sangio clones at my place and they obviously different in the field. I have yet to get a large enough harvest to justify fermenting them seperately so have not done so yet.